There’s something about a cookie that needs only three ingredients that feels like a little kitchen miracle. These 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies are pure magic, delivering that nostalgic, chewy-crumbly texture and deep peanut flavor I crave with almost no effort. They’re my ultimate comfort food, the kind I make when I need a quick dessert that still feels wonderfully special.

Let me tell you, this simple recipe becomes my secret weapon during the busy season. When I’m planning my holiday baking and want something genuinely effortless, these are the Christmas cookie recipes I turn to first. They are, without a doubt, the simplest of easy Christmas treats, filling the kitchen with a warm, peanutty aroma in minutes. Whether I’m setting out a plate for friends or packing tins for neighbors, they make for the most beloved holiday treats.

So if your own list of Christmas dessert ideas is starting to feel overwhelming, come back to this one. With just peanut butter, an egg, and sugar, these peanut butter egg sugar cookies are a reliably delicious—and wonderfully easy—batch of Christmas sweets. Let’s make a batch of these heartwarming no flour cookies together and savor the simple joy they bring.

Love 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies? So do we! If you're into Christmas Cookie or curious about Burgers, you'll find plenty of inspiration below.

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Why You’ll Love This 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

• Unbelievable Simplicity: Only three pantry staples, no chilling, and easy cleanup.
• Deep Peanut Flavor: Peanut butter shines without flour or butter to dilute it.
• Perfect Texture: Soft and chewy centers with slightly crisp, crumbly edges.
• Endlessly Customizable: A perfect base for chocolate chips, sea salt, or cinnamon.

Ingredients & Tools

• 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg

Tools: A medium mixing bowl, a fork or spatula, a baking sheet, and parchment paper.

Notes: Use a conventional, shelf-stable smooth peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) for best texture. Avoid natural, oily varieties.

Nutrition (per serving)

Serves: 12 | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Your peanut butter choice is everything. For the best results, use a conventional, shelf-stable smooth peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. The added stabilizers and sugars in these brands help the cookies hold their shape. Avoid natural peanut butters that separate, as they can make the cookies oily and spread too much.
• Don’t skip the crisscross. Flattening the dough balls with a fork isn’t just for looks! It’s a functional step that ensures the cookies bake evenly all the way through. Without it, you might end up with undercooked centers.
• Measure your sugar correctly. For a cup of sugar, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, as this can pack the sugar down and you’ll end up with more than you need, leading to an overly sweet and potentially crumbly cookie.
• Let your egg come to room temperature. A cold egg can cause the peanut butter to seize up and make the dough harder to mix. Taking the egg out about 30 minutes before you bake makes the whole process smoother—literally.

How to Make 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Storage & Freshness Guide

• Fridge: Not recommended; store at room temperature.
• Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• Reviving: Warm in a 300°F oven for 3–5 minutes to refresh crispness.

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• A cold glass of milk — It’s a classic for a reason. The creamy, cool milk is the perfect partner to cut through the rich, sweet, and salty notes of the cookie.
• A bowl of vanilla ice cream — Make a simple ice cream sandwich by placing a scoop between two slightly cooled cookies. The warm cookie and cold ice cream create a magical contrast.
• A fresh fruit platter — For a slightly more balanced snack, serve these rich cookies alongside some sliced apples or bananas. The bright, fresh fruit provides a lovely counterpoint.

Drinks

• Black coffee — The bitterness of a strong brew complements the sweetness of the cookie beautifully, making for a sophisticated little treat.
• A cold glass of almond milk — A fantastic dairy-free option that still gives you that creamy, comforting sip alongside each nutty bite.
• Chai tea latte — The warm spices in chai—cinnamon, cardamom, cloves—add a wonderful aromatic complexity that pairs surprisingly well with the peanut butter.

Something Sweet

• Dark chocolate-dipped strawberries — If you’re serving these cookies as part of a dessert spread, these strawberries offer a different, fruit-based sweetness that doesn’t compete.
• A simple scoop of chocolate sorbet — For a double chocolate hit without overwhelming the palate, a light sorbet is a perfect, refreshing choice.
• Lemon bars — The sharp, tangy citrus flavor is a brilliant palate-cleanser that cuts through the richness and prepares you for the next peanut butter cookie.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Using natural peanut butter. I’ve messed this up before too, thinking it would be healthier. The oils in natural peanut butter are not emulsified the same way, which leads to cookies that spread into sad, greasy puddles instead of holding their cute, crisscrossed shape.
• Mistake: Overbaking the cookies. Because they have such a simple composition, they go from perfectly soft to unpleasantly dry and crumbly very quickly. Remember, they continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after you take them out. When you see puffy centers and lightly golden edges, they’re done.
• Mistake: Skipping the cooling time. Impatience is the enemy of this cookie. If you try to move them from the baking sheet the second they come out of the oven, they will fall apart in your hands. They need that time on the sheet to set and firm up.
• Mistake: Not mixing the dough thoroughly. If you stop mixing as soon as the ingredients are combined, you might have little pockets of unmixed sugar or egg. Keep going for another 30 seconds to ensure a perfectly homogenous, smooth dough.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Add a pinch of flaky sea salt on top. Right after you press the crisscross pattern, sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky sea salt on each cookie. This little trick elevates the flavor immensely, highlighting the sweetness and the nuttiness in the most delicious way.
• Tip: For a chewier cookie, use brown sugar. You can replace half (or even all) of the granulated sugar with packed light brown sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper, caramel-like flavor, resulting in a chewier, more robust cookie.
• Tip: Get creative with mix-ins. Once your base dough is made, feel free to fold in up to ½ cup of add-ins. Chocolate chips are the obvious winner, but chopped peanuts, toffee bits, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon can create a whole new cookie experience.
• Tip: Make them uniformly sized. Using a cookie scoop isn’t just for convenience; it ensures all your cookies are the same size, which means they will bake at the same rate. No more half-burnt, half-raw batches!

FAQs

Can I make these cookies without an egg?
You can, but the texture changes quite a bit. A common egg substitute for this recipe is a “flax egg” (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, left to thicken for 5 minutes). The cookies will be more crumbly and have a denser, grittier texture from the flax, but they will still hold together. Another option is using ¼ cup of applesauce, which makes a much softer, cake-like cookie. It’s a fun experiment, but the classic egg version is still my top pick for the best texture.

Why are my cookies so crumbly and falling apart?
This usually points to one of two issues. First, you might have overbaked them. Remember, they firm up as they cool, so if they look done in the oven, they are already overdone. Second, it could be your peanut butter. If you used a brand with a different oil content or a natural variety, the fat-to-solid ratio can be off, leading to a lack of structure. Next time, stick with a standard, homogenized peanut butter for guaranteed success.

Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely! This recipe doubles (or even triples) beautifully. Just make sure you’re using a large enough bowl to mix everything comfortably. You might need to bake in batches to avoid overcrowding the oven, which can lead to uneven baking. The recipe scales up with no other adjustments needed.

How should I store these cookies?
Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh and delicious for about 5 days. If you layer them, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or container.

Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth?
You sure can! Using crunchy peanut butter will give you the same great cookie base but with little bits of peanut throughout for extra texture and a more intense peanut flavor. It’s a simple swap that works perfectly, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand or prefer.